History Independent News

1 history

1.1 origins
1.2 expansion
1.3 consolidation
1.4 sale , demise

history
origins

in 1929, favor old client, pulp magazine publisher harry donenfeld gave work client s son, jack liebowitz. donenfeld , liebowitz had little in common, liebowitz emerged man run finances. whereas donenfeld promise world clients without understanding economic realities, liebowitz bookish , ensured bills paid on time , helped create respectability in firm. 2 men spoken of partnership.

when liebowitz first worked donenfeld, latter s empire little more publishing house sex pulp , art nudie magazines distributed eastern news, company run charles dreyfus , paul sampliner. in 1931, eastern news faced bankruptcy , no longer pay publishers; company owed donenfeld alone $30,000. compromise called for, , donenfeld, not wanting find himself hamstrung distributor again, approached sampliner idea of creating independent news company, publishing house own distribution system.

with sampliner running distribution end, donenfeld salesman, harry s youngest brother irving (not mistaken harry s son: irwin donenfeld ) head printer, , liebowitz running finances, launched independent news in 1932. donenfeld brothers had begun printers, , continued printing company s magazine , comic book covers after branching distribution.

now donenfeld distributor publisher, , no longer reliant on others run business. publisher, donenfeld had managed dodge creditors , break deals, distributor, came rely more on liebowitz ensure company ran smoothly. liebowitz ensured bills paid on time , began build trust clients donenfeld s enterprises had never experienced.

expansion

in 1935, writer/entrepreneur malcolm wheeler-nicholson approached independent news in bid relaunch comic book new fun, having lost previous backers due poor sales , debts. donenfeld accepted distribute comic heavy loss of rights wheeler-nicholson. wheeler-nicholson produced 2 more titles handled independent news, new comics , detective comics (which later see first appearance of batman), under banner of detective comics incorporated, in wheeler-nicholson forced take donenfeld , liebowitz partners. in 1938, donenfeld sued wheeler-nicholson nonpayment , detective comics inc. went bankruptcy. not surprisingly donenfeld bought company , wheeler-nicholson s national allied publications in entirety part of action.

the fourth publication under national allied publications action comics (1938). issue #1 introduced superhero, superman, created artist joe shuster , writer jerry siegel, , character s popularity created incredible profits; not in comic book sales, in merchandising such toys, costumes , radio show. @ end of 1941 donenfeld s comic businesses took in $2.6 million.

max gaines, future founder of ec comics, formed all-american publications in 1938 after seeking funding harry donenfeld., gerard jones writes of donenfeld s investment:

harry had agreed on 1 condition: [gaines] take [detective comics partner] jack liebowitz on partner. ... jack tempted leave , form competing company if there nothing hold him. , may have been way harry keep gaines under control; since jack still drawing salary , significant bonuses detective comics , [self-distributorship] independent news, wouldn t let gaines take off on own or act against interests of other companies. ... gaines became principal , jack liebowitz minority owner of all-american [publications].

in 1946, gaines let liebowitz buy him out, keeping picture stories bible foundation of own new company, ec comics. liebowitz promptly orchestrated merger of all-american , detective comics national comics.... next took charge of organizing national comics, independent news, , affiliated firms single corporate entity, national periodical publications .

consolidation

the biggest magazine distribution company of era american news company, had virtual monopoly on comics except dc s. 1952 1957 atlas comics publisher martin goodman distributed company s comics newsstands through self-owned distributor, atlas. switched american news — shortly afterward lost justice department lawsuit , discontinued business. atlas left without distribution , forced turn biggest rival, national (dc) comics. then-atlas editor stan lee recalled in 1988 interview:

... [we had been] turning out 40, 50, 60 books month, maybe more, , ... went ... either 8 or 12 books month, independent news distributors accept us.

american comics group, comic book publisher era (also ties harry donenfeld), distributed independent news, such popular magazines playboy , family circle.

jack liebowitz stayed independent news until 1965, becoming co-owner. irwin donenfeld, dc s editorial director in 1960s, vice president of independent news.

sale , demise

in 1967, national periodical publications (including independent news) purchased kinney national company, later purchased warner bros.-seven arts , became warner communications. donenfelds , crew out, , new management came in. 1970, independent news defunct, absorbed larger , changing distribution business. independent news last president harold chamberlin, served 1968-1970. chamblerin went on become president of warner publishing 1970–1979. warner publishing services, company named dc comics 1 of honorees in company s 50th anniversary publication fifty made dc great.